Thermostatically operated diversion valve for engine cooling system



June 9, 1964 E. B. FOX 3,136,337 THERMOSTATICALLY OPERATED DIVERSION VALVE FOR ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM Filed April 17. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

IN VEN TOR.

June 9, 1964 E. Fox 3,136,337

THERMOSTATICALLY OPERATED DIVERSION VALVE FOR ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 17, 1961 INVENTOR. E "on B.

Attorney United Stat Pawn: O

3,136,337 THERMOSTATICALLY OPERATED DIVERSION VALVE 1 R ENGINE CUOLING SYSTEM Elton B. Fox, 618 36th St, Richmond, Calif. Filed Apr. '17, 1961, Ser. No. 103,520 1 Claim. (Cl. 137--625.48)

The invention relates to diversion valves which are interposed between the hot water outlet of the water jacket of an internal combustion engine and the radiator of the cooling system for the engine, and which function to divert water from the radiator and into a bypass circuit consigned essentially to the engine water jacket and water circulating pump during the warming up period of the engine and to switch the water flow to the radiator when the engine is warmed up.

An object of the present invention is to provide a diversion valve of the character described which is entirely self-contained and is solely hose supported by affording a simple style of installation and a device which is fully enclosed and protected against accidental damage or improper unskilled repair or adjustment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-contained, thermostatically operated diversion valve of the character above which is constructed for an easy, precise and efllcient displacement of the diversion valve member as a function of temperature with a minimum of internal leakage.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a selfcontained thermostatically operated hose supported diversion valve of the character described which is composed of a minimum number of sturdily formed parts which are designed for and cooperate to afford a long and trouble free life for the unit.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which of the foregoing will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification. It is to be understood however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claim.

Referring to said drawings (two sheets):

FIGURE 1 is diagrammatic representation of the thermostatically operated diversion valve of the present.

invention shown operatively connected in an engine cooling system.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the diversion valve.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the valve taken substantially on the plane of line 3--3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of the valve taken substantially on the plane of line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing the valve member in a different position.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG- URES 4 and 5 but showing the valve in still another position.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale of the bearing and sealing means used, the view being taken as indicated by line 77 in FIGURE 5.

The valve of the present invention consists briefly of a valve housing 6 formed with an internal valve chamber 7 and three fluid passages 8, 9 and 10 connected thereto and terminating in hose fittings 12, 13 and 14 which are adapted for connection to the water discharge port 16 of the water jacket of an engine 17, a circulating pump 18 and the radiator 19 respectively of the cooling system for the engine. With reference to FIGURE 1 it will be noted that hose fitting 12 is connected by hose 21 to the discharge side 16 of the engine water jacket; hose fitting 3,136,337 Patented June 9, 1964 "ice 13 is connected by hose 22 and T fitting 23 and hose 24 to the inlet or suction side 26 of pump 18 which has its pressure or discharge side connected to the water inlet side of the engine water jacket. Hose fitting 14 is connected by hose 31 to the upper inlet of radiator 19 and the lower discharge port of the radiator is connected by hose 32 to one side of T fitting 23 for returning cooled fluid through hose 24 to pump 18. As a feature of the present invention hoses 21, 22 and 31 are arranged to provide the sole support for the valve housing and all of the operating parts of the valve are entirely selfcontained within the housing and factory adjusted so that a most simple and foolproof type of installation may be made in the field, and when so installed all of the operating parts are enclosed and protected against accidental damage or improper or unskilled repair or adjustment.

Provided within the housing are a pair of concentric axially aligned valve seats 36 and 37 which are positioned for engagement with the opposite ends 38 and 39 of a cylindrical valve member 41. As will be observed seat 36 is formed as a ring in chamber 7 contiguous to passage 8. Seat 37 on the other hand is provided in chamber 7 contiguous to passage 9.

As a most important feature of the present invention an improved bearing and sealing means is provided for supporting valve member 41 for its axial reciprocal movement to and from seats 36 and 37. This means includes a housing supported internal annular channel 43 (see FIGURE 7) opening to the central axis of the unit in closely surrounding relation to valve 41 and having a pair of spaced parallel flanges 44 and 45 mounted in parallel planes perpendicular to the axis, and an O-ring 47 of elastic material resiliently distended around the cylindrical exterior of the valve member 41 but at the same time having a longitudinal sliding fit thereon, the

O-ring being mounted within the channel 43 between flanges 44 and 45. As a further and important feature of the present construction the radial depth of the channel, and the spacing between flanges 44 and 45 provide substantial clearance all around the exterior of the O-ring except at the area of engagement with the valve member 41. Accordingly there is always provided a free and unimpeded movement of the O-ring within the channel between flanges 44 and 45 and there is at no time any crowding or pressure applied to the O-ring by the channel member. As a result, the friction between the O-ring and sliding cylinder valve is at a minimum which is a requirement for good operation of this thermostatically operated valve unit. Also, the aforementioned clearance allows for some swelling of the O-ring which normally occurs 0t some extent in all -O-rings without imposing any substantial increase in friction since confining or squeezing of the 'O-ring within the channel is not effected even when the O-ring swells. The O-ring 47 is preferably formed of rubber. of one of the synthetic types developed for this use. It has a nominal internal diameter just slightly smaller than the external diameter of valve cylinder 41 so that it must be stretched slightly when positioned around and in sealing relation to the cylindrical exterior. A chamfer 51 is preferably provided adjacent end 39 of the valve member for slipping and wedging the valve member through the interior of the O-ring on assembly of the valve.

In accordance with the above construction the O-ring will be normally carried by the valve member in its travel to and from seats 36 and 37. For example upon movement of valve member 41 to seat 36, O-ring 47 will move to engage flange 44; and on the reverse movement of valve member 41 to engage seat 37, O-ring 47 will be displaced into engagement with flange 45. At the same time since O-ring 47 is slidable on the exterior of valve member 41 it is free to move on the valve member into final sealing engagement in response to applied fluid pressure occurring as the cylinder approaches the valve seats. If the pressure drop across the seal is large the -ring will move in the direction of the pressure valve and a good, pressure responsive seal results.

. Valve 41 is normally biased by spring 52 to engage the upper end 38 of the valve on seat 36 thereby leaving the opposite end 39 of the valve member spaced from the lower seat 37 thus establishing exclusive communication between the inlet passage 8 and the bypass passage 9 and closing oil passage 10 to the radiator. A thermostatically operated actuator 53 is carried by the housing and is connected to valve 41 and is responsive to the temperature of the water or other fluid for displacing the valve member against the spring 52 at elevated temperatures so as to progressively open the flow passage to the radiator, passage 10, while progressively closing the bypass passage 9. At a predetermined elevated temperature a thermostatic actuator moves the valve member to engage the lower seat 37 thereby closing off the bypass passage 9 completely and fully opening the radiator passage 10. In this manner relatively open and unrestricted flow through the valve chamber is always provided regardless of whether the flow is selectively directed to either or simultaneously directed to both the bypass and radiator passages and accordingly the back pressure on the system is reduced to a minimum imposing little or no strain on the connected hoses or tendency to separate the housing from the hoses.

The thermostatic actuator 53, valve ring seat 36 and valve 41 are preferably arranged for pre-assembly and insertion as a sub-assembly into housing 6. All of the parts of this sub-assembly are supported from the ring seat member 36 and the latter is formed for mounting and clamping within an annular recess 56 formed by cooperating faces of a pair of attachable sections 57 and 58 which when secured together cooperatively form housing 6. These two sections may be conveniently cast to provide the necessary internal and external shapes as illustrated in the drawing and to provide the hose mounted cast housing of the present invention.

The thermostat actuator 53 here includes a housing 61 for thermostat material which expands on being heated and which in turn pushes on an actuating rod 62 which is connected at its lower end 63 to a central hub 64 of an internally mounted spider 66 on valve 41. Housing 61 is supported by a sleeve 67 extending therefrom and secured at its lower end to radial spider arms 68 which project out to and are secured to the seat member 36. Rod 62 is normally held in retracted position, corresponding to the closed position of valve 41 on seat 36, as shown in FIGURE 4, by spring 52 here mounted in surrounding relation to sleeve 67 and supported at one end on the spider arms 68 and at its opposite end on a spring rest 69 slidably mounted on sleeve 67. Spring rest 69 is here connected by a pair of strap members 71 to a crossbar 72 mounted on rod 62 and against a shoulder thereon there by applying the force of spring 52 to the rod in the direction of its retraction toward the thermostat housing 61. If desired a pair of springs 52 may be used as here illustrated.

Preferably a connection is made between rod 62 and valve 41 permitting some over-travel of rod 62 when valve 41 is moved into engagement with seat 37, as illustrated in FIGURE 6. As here shown the lower end 63 of rod 62 is mounted through an opening in hub 64 and a nut 73 or other suitable shoulder is provided on rod end 63 for supporting hub 64. A spring 74 is mounted around rod 62 in compression between crossbar 72 and hub 64 for constantly urging the valve member into a position against nut 73. However, upon seating of valve 41 upon seat 37, rod 62 may continue to move on through .the central opening provided through hub 64 against the resistance of spring 74. v

A description of operation of the valve is as follows. When the engine is cold, valve 41 will be in its relatively elevated position as seen in FIGURE 4 engaged with the upper seat 36 thereby cutting off fluid flow to the radiator 19 through passage 10. The valve in this position is fully spaced from the lower seat 37 thereby fully opening fluid flow from the input passage 8 to the bypass passage 9. As the engine and the cooling fluid warms up, the thermostatically operated actuator 53 acting on rod 62 eiiects an initial displacement of valve member 41 in a downward direction as seen in FIGURE 5. This displacement opens passage flow to the radiator passage 10 while maintaining flow to the bypass passage 9. As the engine continues to warm up, valve 41 will be moved to seat 37 as illustrated in FIGURE 6 thereby shutting oil the bypass passage 9 and fully opening radiator passage 10. Preferably a vent opening 76 is provided in the housing wall separating passages 8 and 10 so as to permit the escape of entrapped air or other vapor or gas.

I claim:

In a device of the character described, a housing formed with a pair of chambers adapted for receipt of fluid under pressure and a passage connecting said chambers, means providing an internal annular channel in said passage, an elongated cylindrical member mounted concentrically of and for reciprocation through said channel between terminal positions and formed with a longitudinal passageway therethrough, said channel opening to the periphery of said member in closely surrounding relation, said means providing said channel including a pair of axially spaced radial flanges, an elastic sealing member resiliently extending around said periphery and having a sliding fit thereon for movement therewith between and for alternate sealing engagement with said flanges, the radial depth of said channel providing substantial clearance around said sealing member and the clearance between said sealing member and said flange being less than the reciprocal movement of said cylindrical mem ber, means supplying a fluid under pressure to said passageway, and means cooperating with said cylindrical member and its passageway when said cylindrical member moves to said terminal positions to cause reversal of pressure dilferential between said chambers and to cause equalizing of said pressure differential during said reciprocal movement between said terminal positions, the reciprocal movement of said cylindrical member functioning to position said sealing member in engagement with that flange which is adjacent the chamber of lower pressure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,311,809 Giesler July 29, 1919 2,647,810 McCuistion Aug. 4, 1953 2,738,803 Manning Mar. 20, 1956 2,829,835 Branson Apr. 8, 1958 2,847,165 Freismuth Aug. 12, 1958 2,893,795 Dooling July 7, 1959 2,919,860 Wagner Jan. 5, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,092,424 France Apr. 21, 1955 

